Global rights group, Human Rights Watch has requested the European Union to publicly set out a clear framework with short timelines for Sri Lanka to comply with its human rights commitments and retain tariff-free access to the EU market.
Human Rights Watch said in a letter to the European Commission that the EU should be clear during the forthcoming GSP+ assessment that concrete improvements, not mere pledges, are urgently needed for Sri Lanka to maintain its trading privileges.
HRW in its letter has said, the EU should appropriately use GSP+ to address the deepening human rights crisis in Sri Lanka.
It said, the EU should also consider the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights’ recommendation to impose targeted sanctions against individuals implicated in alleged human rights violations in Sri Lanka, as provided for by the EU’s Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime.
